STATE’S LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT ENDS ANTI-GAY POLICY

COMMENTARY ARCHIVES, 14 Feb 2009

Andy Birkey

(Minnesota)- For more than a decade, the Anoka-Hennepin School Board had a policy that forbade teachers and students from speaking about homosexuality, except to describe it as abnormal or invalid. But the board Monday [Feb. 9/09] approved a more inclusive policy after years of work by community members to make the district more accepting of all students.

The old policy, enacted in 1995, read, “Homosexuality [will] not be taught/addressed as a normal, valid lifestyle.” The policy originally applied just to health classes but eventually came to pervade all aspects of class instruction and extracurricular activities. The board’s  vote to eliminate the policy earned praise from GLBT groups.

“The implied message to GLBT students, staff, and families was that they are ‘invalid’ or ‘abnormal,’” says Stephanie Hazen of Rainbow Families, a group that advocates for GLBT families. “This was an incredibly harmful and discriminatory message to send, and contributed to a school environment in which GLBT students, staff and families felt marginalized.”

The old wording was replaced with a policy that directs school teachers and staff to treat LGBT subjects “in a respectful manner that is age-appropriate, factual, and pertinent to the relevant curriculum.”

“We hope that this language will finally allow the Anoka-Hennepin district to address GLBT-related issues in a forthright manner, and foster a climate conducive to success for all students,” said Phil Duran, staff attorney for OutFront Minnesota, the state’s largest GLBT advocacy organization. “This change of direction is refreshing and the culmination of several years’ work by dedicated community and board members.”

Anoka Hennepin School District is the largest district in the state, serving 40,600 students in more than a dozen communities in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis, including Anoka, Champlin, Coon Rapids, Andover, Blaine, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Dayton, Fridley, Ham Lake, Nowthen, Oak Grove and Ramsey.

GO TO ORIGINAL – THE MINNESOTA INDEPENDENT

Share this article: email mastodon facebook 🔗 copy link

DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Comments are closed.